Blade journey

[mgweatherly]

I present a Tuesday morning shave off (rated 9.5/10 for the E2 injector and 9.8/10 for the High Proof) brought to you by:

• Razors: 1935-38 Schick E2 injector with swing-open spring head and High Proof aluminum
• Blade: vintage Personna super stainless injector (2) and Feather (1)
• Brush: Semogue Owner’s Club Mistura Taj (my favorite)
• Pre-shave: Noxema dwell before rinsing (good value pre-shave)
• Soap: Stirling Christmas Eve (superb)
• Post shave: Thayer's Witch Hazel followed by Stirling splash and balm-Christmas Eve scent (my favorites)

This post describes my perplexing, previous shave disaster with the High Proof that had made such a fantastic first impression. What a difference a couple days (and a new blade and soap?) makes! This morning’s shave was wonderful, near perfection with the High Proof/Feather combination. Every pass felt like I was just swiping lather off my face without a blade, yet, somehow my stubble was disappearing. My only downgrade comes from the slight difficulty I had reaching the whiskers right under my nose. It can be hard to know exactly where the blade is with the High Proof.

Because of my trepidation from the previous shave, I used my mid-1930s Schick E2 injector for the first pass on my left side; it’s one of my favorite injectors. That razor also provided a superb shave with a slight downgrade because it drew one misty-eyed, weeper on my chin. The vintage Personna injector blades (and most injector blades, frankly) have a very keen edge indeed. This razor provides a superbly close shave that is also very comfortable.

I used the High Proof for the first mostly WTG pass on my right side, and it was fantastic. It mowed down my stubble like a hot knife through butter. The Feather was sublimely efficient and comfortable in the High Proof without any fear that it's vaunted sharpness would bite. The razor was so confidence inspiring that I actually went XTG under my right jawline for the first pass. This strategy yielded a slightly more efficient first pass on my right side than on my left, where I stuck to WTG for the Schick injector. Both razors did a great job on the first pass.

I could have finished the remainder of the shave with either razor, but I chose the High Proof because I enjoy a good redemption story. It was flawless. After two passes, I had virtually nothing left to clean up to achieve my customary BBS finish. A small number of touch-ups completed the job with absolutely no irritation or blood. I am still flummoxed to explain what exactly happened the previous time I used this razor on Sunday. I wish I could say, live and learn, but I haven’t figured out what I’ve learned, other than I won’t rush to use the High Proof with the Extro shave soap again. Even that feels like a dubious conclusion to draw.

The Thayer’s witch hazel and Stirling Christmas Eve splash and balm is the best post-shave combination in my den. When you couple a great BBS finish with a beautiful moisturizing balm that has a divine scent, it’s hard to stop touching your face—shaving Nirvana.

 

[Keith_Weir]

Definitely YMMV as with almost everything to do with shaving. I don't "dislike" the Lord blades, and I fully understand why people like them; they were very comfortable and did a decent job of being close in my Tech. And, I might like them more in a more aggressive razor. The Tech is kind of a pussycat.

iM STILL WAITING ON MY HIGH PROOF !!!!!!!! i will start with Astra, then Feather, then a Pemasharp........

 

[mgweatherly]

iM STILL WAITING ON MY HIGH PROOF !!!!!!!! i will start with Astra, then Feather, then a Pemasharp........

Oh no! I've followed some of the struggles that Dave and Andy at High Proof have had with the good old US Postal Service losing razors that were sent to customers. It has been bad, but it looks like High Proof is working double time to make up for the USPS errors. I hope yours arrives soon because I think you'll really like it. I'm lucky to be served by a local post office that works really well.

 

[mgweatherly]

I'm back from vacation to shave with the surprise gift listed below that arrived while I was away (shave rated 9.8/10 with a slight downgrade for a nick that was very likely my fault):

• Razor: Swedish Swing razor graciously gifted by @Guido75
• Blade: Gillette Wilkinson Super Stainless (2)
• Brush: Fendrihan synthetic (I’m warming to it)
• Pre-shave: Noxema dwell before rinsing (good value pre-shave)
• Soap: Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood (wonderful)
• Post shave: Thayer's Witch Hazel followed by 1965 Old Spice splash and Nivea Cool Sensitive balm

I returned from a one-week vacation during which I had very limited internet access to find a wonderful Dutch gift box from my dear friend @Guido75. He graciously sent me a Swing 3-piece razor made by Swing Ltd. of Sandviken, Sweden. The company operated from 1923 until about 1960 according to the Waits Compenium. The razor is an interpretation of a Gillette 3-piece razor with a few nice changes. First, the cap and baseplate covers the entire blade. Second, from above, the corners curve inward to reduce the width of the head where it contacts the skin and smooth any pointy corners. Third, the blade looks to be held along its entire surface, like an OLD type head. Fourth, the cap includes pins that mate to holes in the baseplate, also like an OLD type (or NEW Improved) head. The mostly plastic handle (Bakelite?) has an octagonal cross section in the plane perpendicular to its long axis that gets larger in “diameter” from the head to the distal end and also has a metal threaded end to mate with the post on the cap. It provides a very nice grip that is easy to maneuver. I measured a very large blade gap of 1.00 mm (0.040”), but the photo of the blade exposure shown below looks very much like a Gillette Tech exposure geometry.

The shave was superb. The Gillette Wilkinson blade, which was the first blade I used on this journey (LINK), made a triumphant return for a second shave, and it did not disappoint. It felt just as good as I recall from the first shave. I would happily buy and use this blade if I were in the market (I've got a LARGE backlog of mostly vintage blades that I really like).

The Swing inspired a LOT of confidence with a very intuitive shave angle and a head that seemed to present exactly the right amount of blade. I did nick my mustache area due to careless rushing, but that was almost definitely my error. I wonder if the rather large blade gap had anything to do with the little nip the razor gave me. Even if that were part of the cause, now I know how the razor behaves, and it will not happen again. The razor was every bit as smooth and comfortable as any razor I've ever used. However, I found the shave to be quite a bit more efficient than the Gillette Tech I used for round one of this journey because I barely had any work remaining for the third pass. The final result was a very close and comfortable shave indeed on every part of my face. This is an excellent razor. Before it arrived, I had never heard of a Swing razor, and I'm guessing they were never sold here in the States. It is a fantastic addition to my collection.

After the shave, the Thayer’s witch hazel and vintage 1965 Old Spice splash felt great with just the right amount of zing from the Old Spice. The Nivea balm did its job as intended with a barely noticeable scent. I'm still pondering what is in store for the next shave on the journey.

 

[Guido75]

You are most welcome Mitch! I am glad you liked the shave. The Swing is a remarkable razor and I think you are right in assuming that these were not available in the US. There is also an open comb version, and what I learned from Jack Goossen is that these are even more rare than the closed comb one you now have.

And very interesting measurements. I eyeballed the Swing next to my Timeless and I estimated them to be equal, but in fact the blade gap on the Swing is larger! Yet they are similar in smoothness and comfort.

Enjoy your other goodies equally well my friend and thanks for your friendship! Warms my heart!

Cheers,

Guido

 

[mgweatherly]

Tuesday morning back-to-back shave (8.5/10) with this setup:

• Razor: 1940s Clix E-Z-Flo razor
• Blade: Gillette Wilkinson Sword Stainless (3)
• Brush: SOC Mistura Taj (my favorite)
• Pre-shave: Noxema dwell before rinsing (good value pre-shave)
• Soap: Daveli’s Farm Sheep Fat Orange Cedarwood Oak Moss scent (excellent)
• Post shave: Thayer's Witch Hazel followed by 1965 Old Spice splash and Cella Extra Extra Bio balm (not pictured, doh!)

I’ve decided to test the longevity of the Gillette Wilkinson Sword blade and will shave with it until I retire it (I have a low bar for retirement). Today’s shave was unusual because I only had 24 hours growth. I normally go 48 hours between shaves. I did have a little more stubble than usual at the 24-hour mark because I stopped yesterday's shave after two passes (prioritizing comfort).

The first pass felt extremely mild and was modestly efficient. I mostly blame the slightly negative blade exposure on the Clix razor for the lack of efficiency (see photo below), but I do also wonder whether the Gillette Wilkie is starting to lose its edge. I’ll have a better sense of the blade when I shave on Thursday with a more “conventional” razor. The second pass was also extremely comfortable; the Clix makes it seem impossible to cut yourself. I did a full third pass that achieved BBS on some parts of my cheeks, but I reached only DFS in most other locations except my neck on each side of my Adam’s apple where I got a CCS finish. This last area is the hardest for me to get a close shave. I was satisfied with the result because, again, I prioritized comfort for this shave.

After the shave, the Thayer’s witch hazel and vintage 1965 Old Spice splash felt great with just the right amount of zing from the Old Spice. The Cella Extra Extra Bio balm did its job as intended with a subtle scent that did not overwhelm the Old Spice.

 

[Guido75]

Excellent review again Mitch! Super helpful for those looking to improve their technique.

Guido

 

[mgweatherly]

Oh boy, I received a package from brother @lasta containing a hoard of blades, some of which are very exotic Asian examples, to keep me busy on this blade journey. What an amazing PIF; thank you so much!

I think there are 24 unique types if I understand what's in the tucks correctly. The group does include one of my favorite types, the vintage English NACET (at least based on my prior limited experience with ONE of those blades). Without further ado, here they are:

 

[Guido75]

Awesome PIF! Way to go @lasta

And how wonderful the Journey continues! I see some familiar tucks I had the fortune of receiving from our friends as well. The London Bridge is also the English vintage one for example.

Still afraid to try the Russian blades

Cheers,

Guido

 

[ShavingPrimate]

The London Bridge is also the English vintage one for example.

Interesting to know that there was a "London Bridge" blade that was actually made in England.

I do notice that on both of the packages shown, writing that would suggest that the blade was intended for export?

I see that there was a "Tennessee" blade made at one time!

 

[mgweatherly]

Interesting to know that there was a "London Bridge" blade that was actually made in England.

I do notice that on both of the packages shown, writing that would suggest that the blade was intended for export?

I see that there was a "Tennessee" blade made at one time!

The tuck of London Bridge blades were made in England, but the lose blade seems to have been made elsewhere.

 

[lasta]

Interesting to know that there was a "London Bridge" blade that was actually made in England.

I do notice that on both of the packages shown, writing that would suggest that the blade was intended for export?

I see that there was a "Tennessee" blade made at one time!

The plastic tuck London Bridges were made in England, but from the printing, I'd guess meant for North Africa/Middle Eastern markets.

The newer London Bridges are made by Gillette's factory in Shanghai, for export to Malaysia.

I think there are trade mark overlaps, older London Bridges were (I think) part of Wilkinson, modern ones are Gillette.

 

[ShavingPrimate]

The newer London Bridges are made by Gillette's factory in Shanghai, for export to Malaysia.

I have to chuckle when London Bridge razor blades are made in China and Big Ben razor blades are made in Egypt...

 

[lasta]

I have to chuckle when London Bridge razor blades are made in China and Big Ben razor blades are made in Egypt...

Haha right on!

But times change, Wilkinsons are made everywhere but the UK!

Germany, India, China, Brazil as far as I can count. Formerly Egypt (maybe).

 

[lasta]

Oh boy, I received a package from brother @lasta containing a hoard of blades, some of which are very exotic Asian examples, to keep me busy on this blade journey. What an amazing PIF; thank you so much!

I think there are 24 unique types if I understand what's in the tucks correctly. The group does include one of my favorite types, the vintage English NACET (at least based on my prior limited experience with ONE of those blades). Without further ado, here they are:

View attachment 1593619

Look forward to your future blade journey entries!

But do be careful about what you start with. Lest you be led to believe that I intended to do you harm!

The Gvcmlle, Supernova, Neva, and probably MEM blades may require a stiff drink before attempting!

 

[mgweatherly]

Thursday morning shave (8.5/10) with this setup:

• Razor: 1930 Probak 3-piece razor the razor that fueled Henry Gaisman's takeover of Gillette (link)
• Blade: Gillette Wilkinson Super Stainless (4th and last use)
• Brush: Semogue Gallahad Horse Hair (nice)
• Pre-shave: Noxema dwell before rinsing (good value pre-shave)
• Soap: Italian Extro artisan vegan soap, Tobacco scent (wonderful)
• Post shave: Thayer's Witch Hazel followed by 1965 Old Spice splash and Nivea Cool Sensitive balm

As I suspected, this fourth shave was the last for the Gillette Wilkinson Super Sword. I loaded the blade into my 1930 Probak 3-piece razor (more photos HERE), which is a wonderfully smooth, efficient, and nimble open-comb razor that is one of my favorites (and I don’t typically love OC razors). A closeup photo of the blade exposure in the Probak is shown below. The photo appears to show that the Probak has a slightly negative blade exposure, but I don't think that tells the whole story. The OC nature of the head allows for a different (greater) exposure of the blade to the skin in the gaps between the teeth. Those gaps and the more "positive" (or aggressive) exposure in the gaps are not shown in the photo below. To get such a photo, I would have to remove the outermost tooth on the comb, and there is no way I'd ever do that because it would destroy the razor. This Probak arrangement is very unusual and likely has a great deal to do with how unusual the razor feels (a very mild sensation with only some blade feel and unexpectedly high efficiency). I really like this razor.

By comparison, the photo below shows a more typical type of blade exposure on a late 1920s Gillette open-comb, OLD type (with the thick cap). The slightly positive blade exposure is very similar to all the Gillette razors of that era (and even later with the Tech and Super Speed). I've actually never shaved with the razor shown below, but that is likely to change soon (perhaps my next shave?). Anyway, keep reading for notes on today's actual SHAVE.

The first pass felt great but with modest efficiency. The Probak could not make up for the fading sharpness of the Gillette Wilkie. The second pass was also extremely comfortable; the Probak gives just the right amount of blade feel while keeping your skin safe. I did a full third pass that achieved BBS, but I needed to work at it and could feel some minor irritation. No blood was shed though. Given how beautifully sharp and smooth this blade started, I see no reason to use it for a fifth shave; I retired it after this shave.

After the shave, the Thayer’s witch hazel and vintage 1965 Old Spice splash felt great. The Nivea Cool Sensitive balm did its job as always with a subtle scent that played nicely with the Old Spice.

Blade Journey log is HERE.

 

[Guido75]

I've actually never shaved with the razor shown below, but that is likely to change soon (perhaps my next shave?)

I would be interested in comparing notes sir! Today’s shave at least was wonderful - it’s now 7:30PM here and I am still SAS/CCS-

Cheers,

Guido

 

[mgweatherly]

I would be interested in comparing notes sir! Today’s shave at least was wonderful - it’s now 7:30PM here and I am still SAS/CCS-

Cheers,

Guido

I see that you are really enjoying your OLD type, which makes me very happy . I've used a few different examples of my OLD types, but I confess that the thick cap version is not one I've tried. That version looks to be the mildest (but not necessarily mild). I had planned to use my late 1920's OLD type (it actually is configured like a single ring but has no serial number and the thick cap). BUT, I think I'm going to receive my Lambda Athena tomorrow, so ....

 

[Guido75]

Oehhh - can’t blame you there Mitch! That will be a definite TLDR posting in this thread!

And yes, I too read the thick cap is the mildest apparently, but she is definitely not mild towards stubble! And really comfortable so far as well - with three different blades and the Old Type made all three perform. And yes, extremely enjoying this one

Here’s to hoping the mail finds your home tomorrow!

Cheers,

Guido

 

[mgweatherly]

So excited for tomorrow's shave